Maison Close is a French television series which premiered on Canal+ on October 4, 2010. The series was developed by Mabrouk El Mechri and is based on a concept created by Jacques Ouaniche. It is a drama set in a nineteenth-century Parisian brothel.
On December 7, 2010, Canal + renewed Maison Close for a second season which premiered on February 4, 2013. But in May 2013, the series had been cancelled by Canal+ after the second season, following a decline in ratings.
Contents
Premise
Paris, 1871. In Le Paradis, a luxury brothel, three women try to escape from their troublesome circumstances. Vera is 35 years old, the end of her career as a prostitute drawing nearer. She puts all her hopes on her main client, the only one rich enough to redeem her debt. Hortense is the madam of Le Paradis. She must hold on to her girls whilst dealing with an extortionist from the Parisian suburbs. Rose arrives in search of her mother, a former prostitute. She is trapped with a pimp and forcibly conscripted into Le Paradis.
Cast and characters
Main
Anne Charrier as Véra
Valérie Karsenti as Hortense Gaillac.
Jemima West as Rosalie "Rose" Tranier
Catherine Hosmalin as Marguerite Fourchon
Clémence Bretécher as Valentine
Deborah Grall as Bertha
Blandine Bellavoir as Angèle
Nicolas Briançon as Pierre Gaillac (season 1)
Michaël Cohen as Louis Mosca (season 2)
Recurring
Dany Verissimo as Camélia
Sébastien Libessart as Torcy
Season 1
Dan Herzberg as Gaston Lupin
Serge Dupuy as Brice Caboche
Lannick Gautry as Edgar
Arnaud Binard as Francis Arnoult
Antoine Chappey as Charles Blondin
Garlan Le Martelot as Edmond Blondin
Juana Pereira da Silva as Louison "Louise"
Olivier Claverie as senator Gaudissart
Quentin Baillot as baron du Plessis
Pierre Casadei as the general
Season 2
Fatou N'Diaye as Pauline
Martin Loizillon as Bak
Lubna Gourion as Jeanne
Michaël Abiteboul as Kertel
Jean-Marie Frin as commissioner Angélus
Aurélien Wiik as the doctor
Susana Blazer as Zoe
David Salles as Paul
Elmano Sancho as Delvaux
Sophie-Charlotte Husson as Joséphine
Episodes
Season 1 (2010)
The first season premiered on Canal+ on October 4, 2010. The season finale aired on October 25, 2010.
Épisode 1
Épisode 2
Épisode 3
Épisode 4
Épisode 5
Épisode 6
Épisode 7
Épisode 8
Season 2 (2013)
The second season premiered on Canal+ on February 4, 2013. The season finale aired on February 25, 2013.
Épisode 1
Épisode 2
Épisode 3
Épisode 4
Épisode 5
Épisode 6
Épisode 7
Épisode 8
Production and development
Jacques Ouaniche imagined the series in 2007, taking as a starting point a "trapped young girl forced to prostitute in a nineteenth century Parisian brothel".
Production of the first season began in October 2009 and ended in January 2010 in Lisbon, Portugal.
On December 7, 2010, Canal + renewed Maison Close for a second season to consist of 8 episodes. Production of the second season began in January 2012 and ended in May 2012 in Lisbon, Portugal.
In May 2013, the series had been cancelled by Canal+ after the second season, following a decline in ratings.
Home media release
The first season was released in France on DVD on October 26, 2010, and on Blu-ray on March 1, 2013. The second season was released on both DVD and Blu-ray on March 1, 2013. The complete serie was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 9, 2013.
The first season was released in United Kingdom on DVD and Blu-ray on September 3, 2012. The second season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 19, 2013.
The first season was released in United States on DVD and Blu-ray on January 27, 2015. The second season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 16, 2015.
Adaptations
On November 9, 2012, it was revealed that an English-language adaptation was in development and that HBO and Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson's Leverage would develop the project. The remake should be identical to the original version except for the cast and the language. Although the project has not been canceled, HBO no longer communicates about it since the announcement.